From the moment he ran onto the stage of Kingston's K-Rock Centre to the moment the last echoes of the sound of the band, crew, and him singing from the "Book Of Ruth" faded into applause and bows, Leonard Cohen held our hearts and souls in the palm of his hand last night (May 22, 09). Normally I wouldn't feel either comfortable or safe surrendering that much of myself to anybody, but not only wasn't there much I could do about it in this instance, I doubt any of us gathered together last night could have been in safer or better hands. As a poet, singer, novelist, and song writer, Cohen has always delved into deep emotional waters, but when you see him in concert he not only tells you about those experiences, he becomes your guide through them.

Cohen's first book of poetry, Let Us Compare Mythologies was published in 1956 and his first recording,Songs Of Leonard Cohen, was released in 1967. Since then has released twelve books, fourteen albums, and been in front of audiences almost continually either reading or singing his work. At seventy-five the one time enfant-terrible of Canadian poetry has evolved into a grand master/guru to whom people around the world now turn for their heart's easing and their soul's comfort. For where he was once perceived as dark and brooding, cut from the same cloth as Lord Byron and the Romantics of the nineteenth century, as his locks have greyed people have allowed themselves to see past the image they tried to create for him, and let his words and voice reach them instead.

Which is exactly what happened last night as Cohen performed songs from nearly his entire repertoire of recordings for an audience that clung to each word he said and every note he and his band sang or played. Eager as a child and humble as a supplicant, Cohen stood before us with hat in hand (literally and figuratively) asking us to join him in celebrating something most of the world would have us deny - our emotions. He coaxed, teased, joked, and cajoled us into breaking down the walls the world builds around our hearts, while simultaneously providing the reassurance required to allow us to do so in public. Unlike those who would manipulate you with their music in order to make you react in a specific way, Cohen offered the audience the opportunity to feel whatever it was we needed in whatever amount we required.

Having recently reviewed the DVD Leonard Cohen Live In London, a recording made earlier during this current tour, I was slightly worried that I would have spoiled the experience of seeing Cohen in concert for myself as he would most likely perform the same show here in Kingston as was recorded in London. While it's true that the majority of the material was the same, including the sequence in which they were performed and the patter between songs, the difference between even the best that modern technology has to offer and seeing Cohen perform live is immeasurable.

Aside from the fact that the experience of being amongst a crowd of people sharing the same excitement and pleasure of witnessing the performance can never be re-created, there were nuances of his performance that didn't show up on the DVD. No matter how good your sound system is, it will never be able to match hearing him sing or recite in person. I had no idea just how rich and deep his voice has become until I saw him last night. At times when he descended to the bottom of his register you could swear his voice was rising from the floor through the soles of your feet to make its way up into your body. Now I've been to concerts where the bass has been so heavy that it's made your chest hurt from the pressure, but this wasn't the case. It was more like a caress than an assault.

Another difference is a camera is selective and you only see what it wants; on a recording you miss what's happening outside of its singular focus. I've no idea if they did this during the Live In London concert, but on this night during the singing of the lines "White girls dancing", his back up singers, The Webb Sisters, performed simultaneous backwards cartwheels, something which definitely didn't show up in the DVD footage. That was just one of many asides or moments that can only be experienced by seeing a live performance.

However, what it comes down to in the end is the music, and Cohen and his band on stage are even more impressive in person than they are on tape. You'd think that after months on the road performing the same songs over and over again they would reach the stage where the material becomes somewhat stale. Well, if it was the case, you couldn't tell it by the performance I saw last night as they attacked each song with a joy and enthusiasm that brought the audience to their feet time and time again. Songs like "Suzanne", "Bird On A Wire", "Famous Blue Raincoat", "Closing Time", and "Dance Me To The End Of Love", which audience members must have heard many a time before, sounded as fresh as if we were hearing them for the first time again.

Some concerts you attend you may remember a song or two in particular as highlights, while others are just a blur of excitement and noise. However once in a while you are fortunate enough to be part of an experience. Last night watching Leonard Cohen was one of those occasions. There were moments when the impulse to surrender to the wash of emotions being generated by listening to the music was so great that it was impossible not to just sit back and close my eyes and let myself go. I haven't done drugs in over fifteen years, but nothing I ever took in the hopes of expanding my consciousness ever came close to matching the experience of riding on the waves generated by what was happening on stage last night.

Leonard Cohen is seventy-five now, so who knows how many more times he's going to be motivated to tour again. It's been fifteen years since his last tour, so there might not even be another. Don't miss the opportunity to see and experience him in concert as it will be unlike anything you've ever enjoyed before. Last night, he was in Kingston, Ontario changing a few thousands lives for the better, and his tour is continuing across North America and Europe for the rest of the year so you've still plenty of opportunities to see and hear him sing before this tour wraps up. In a world filled with mass produced and sterile products, a Leonard Cohen concert is a very unique and human experience that shouldn't be missed.

From the moment he ran onto the stage of Kingston's K-Rock Centre to the moment the last echoes of the sound of the band, crew, and him singing from the "Book Of Ruth" faded into applause and bows, Leonard Cohen held our hearts and souls in the palm of his hand last night (May 22, 09). Normally I wouldn't feel either comfortable or safe surrendering that much of myself to anybody, but not only wasn't there much I could do about it in this instance, I doubt any of us gathered together last night could have been in safer or better hands. As a poet, singer, novelist, and song writer, Cohen has always delved into deep emotional waters, but when you see him in concert he not only tells you about those experiences, he becomes your guide through them.

Cohen's first book of poetry, Let Us Compare Mythologies was published in 1956 and his first recording,Songs Of Leonard Cohen, was released in 1967. Since then has released twelve books, fourteen albums, and been in front of audiences almost continually either reading or singing his work. At seventy-five the one time enfant-terrible of Canadian poetry has evolved into a grand master/guru to whom people around the world now turn for their heart's easing and their soul's comfort. For where he was once perceived as dark and brooding, cut from the same cloth as Lord Byron and the Romantics of the nineteenth century, as his locks have greyed people have allowed themselves to see past the image they tried to create for him, and let his words and voice reach them instead.

Which is exactly what happened last night as Cohen performed songs from nearly his entire repertoire of recordings for an audience that clung to each word he said and every note he and his band sang or played. Eager as a child and humble as a supplicant, Cohen stood before us with hat in hand (literally and figuratively) asking us to join him in celebrating something most of the world would have us deny - our emotions. He coaxed, teased, joked, and cajoled us into breaking down the walls the world builds around our hearts, while simultaneously providing the reassurance required to allow us to do so in public. Unlike those who would manipulate you with their music in order to make you react in a specific way, Cohen offered the audience the opportunity to feel whatever it was we needed in whatever amount we required.

Having recently reviewed the DVD Leonard Cohen Live In London, a recording made earlier during this current tour, I was slightly worried that I would have spoiled the experience of seeing Cohen in concert for myself as he would most likely perform the same show here in Kingston as was recorded in London. While it's true that the majority of the material was the same, including the sequence in which they were performed and the patter between songs, the difference between even the best that modern technology has to offer and seeing Cohen perform live is immeasurable.

Aside from the fact that the experience of being amongst a crowd of people sharing the same excitement and pleasure of witnessing the performance can never be re-created, there were nuances of his performance that didn't show up on the DVD. No matter how good your sound system is, it will never be able to match hearing him sing or recite in person. I had no idea just how rich and deep his voice has become until I saw him last night. At times when he descended to the bottom of his register you could swear his voice was rising from the floor through the soles of your feet to make its way up into your body. Now I've been to concerts where the bass has been so heavy that it's made your chest hurt from the pressure, but this wasn't the case. It was more like a caress than an assault.

Another difference is a camera is selective and you only see what it wants; on a recording you miss what's happening outside of its singular focus. I've no idea if they did this during the Live In London concert, but on this night during the singing of the lines "White girls dancing", his back up singers, The Webb Sisters, performed simultaneous backwards cartwheels, something which definitely didn't show up in the DVD footage. That was just one of many asides or moments that can only be experienced by seeing a live performance.

However, what it comes down to in the end is the music, and Cohen and his band on stage are even more impressive in person than they are on tape. You'd think that after months on the road performing the same songs over and over again they would reach the stage where the material becomes somewhat stale. Well, if it was the case, you couldn't tell it by the performance I saw last night as they attacked each song with a joy and enthusiasm that brought the audience to their feet time and time again. Songs like "Suzanne", "Bird On A Wire", "Famous Blue Raincoat", "Closing Time", and "Dance Me To The End Of Love", which audience members must have heard many a time before, sounded as fresh as if we were hearing them for the first time again.

Some concerts you attend you may remember a song or two in particular as highlights, while others are just a blur of excitement and noise. However once in a while you are fortunate enough to be part of an experience. Last night watching Leonard Cohen was one of those occasions. There were moments when the impulse to surrender to the wash of emotions being generated by listening to the music was so great that it was impossible not to just sit back and close my eyes and let myself go. I haven't done drugs in over fifteen years, but nothing I ever took in the hopes of expanding my consciousness ever came close to matching the experience of riding on the waves generated by what was happening on stage last night.

Leonard Cohen is seventy-five now, so who knows how many more times he's going to be motivated to tour again. It's been fifteen years since his last tour, so there might not even be another. Don't miss the opportunity to see and experience him in concert as it will be unlike anything you've ever enjoyed before. Last night, he was in Kingston, Ontario changing a few thousands lives for the better, and his tour is continuing across North America and Europe for the rest of the year so you've still plenty of opportunities to see and hear him sing before this tour wraps up. In a world filled with mass produced and sterile products, a Leonard Cohen concert is a very unique and human experience that shouldn't be missed.

This is one of the best reviews I have read - I guess because it captures my own thoughts so well! We are very lucky indeed to be experiencing such a great moment in time - I am sure all of us who have attended these concerts will look back on these moments many many times in the future.

stfa wrote:
This is one of the best reviews I have read - I guess because it captures my own thoughts so well! We are very lucky indeed to be experiencing such a great moment in time - I am sure all of us who have attended these concerts will look back on these moments many many times in the future.

I think you are right - and lucky you stfa - you have been to a number of these shows! I have been to one only and I felt blessed to have been there. And actually, I was blessed with Leonard Cohen's sweet and kind words at the end of the show.

I agree, this is a wonderful review. Last night's concert was absolutely wonderful. After seeing Leonard three times before on this tour I was afraid that I might not feel the same emotion this time around. My fears were unfounded. Each concert seems to have its special nuances. Last night it was very apparent that the bond between Leonard and the band has strengthened over the course of the tour. They all seemed to be enjoying every minute. I had the good fortune of being in the front row and noticed how much Leonard and the band fed off the energy of the audience.

I noticed a few differences from the other concerts that I attended. These may have been mentioned before, so please excuse me if this is the case.

In the Tower of Song Leonard did not do his usual 'do dum dum dum" lines but talked about wanting Sharon, Charley and Hattie to keep singing as the panic was setting in about singing the next song and he also thanked them for being his back up singers.

Who By Fire - the introduction by Javier Mas seemed to be a lot longer than I remembered from other concerts. It was really breathtaking.

I was slightly disappointed that The Gypsy's Wife had been dropped but it's hard to complain when there were so many other gems included. The Partisan and FBR were the highlights for me. Also, Hallelujah was amazing. After he sang that the emotion in the arena seemed to be raised to a new level.

Mollydog wrote: I noticed a few differences from the other concerts that I attended. ...
Who By Fire - the introduction by Javier Mas seemed to be a lot longer than I remembered from other concerts...

A quote from Javier Mas in an article on another thread (Google French translation):

Leonard is interested in eastern music, Greek, Turkish ... My thing to me is a mixture of Arabic music, Eastern and flamenco. The arrangements I made for Leonard are inspired by Greek music (Dance Me To The End of Love), Flamenco (Gypsy's Wife) or take over improvisation (Who By Fire). Every night, my solos are different"

Mollydog wrote: I noticed a few differences from the other concerts that I attended. ...
Who By Fire - the introduction by Javier Mas seemed to be a lot longer than I remembered from other concerts...

A quote from Javier Mas in an article on another thread (Google French translation):

Leonard is interested in eastern music, Greek, Turkish ... My thing to me is a mixture of Arabic music, Eastern and flamenco. The arrangements I made for Leonard are inspired by Greek music (Dance Me To The End of Love), Flamenco (Gypsy's Wife) or take over improvisation (Who By Fire). Every night, my solos are different"

Javier's performance at the opening of "Who By Fire" is absolutely stunning - the darkened stage with the spotlight on just him and his guitar And every show it is different - and every time - breathtakingly beautiful!

I

Last edited by sturgess66 on Fri Dec 14, 2012 6:52 am, edited 2 times in total.

Bridger,
Thank you for posting that review. It is, indeed, one of the most eloquent ones that I've read (and I've read them all!). I took my brother and sister to the Minneapolis concert and I'm going to print this out for them when I give them a remembrance of our time together.

Also, great quote from Javier Mas-it is certainly a wonderful privilege to witness all of these virtuoso musicians improvising new approaches to the songs. If you've been able to see multiple concerts-even though the set lists are similar-it is just a joy to see the freshness that is brought to the material each evening.

Months ago, a couple of my friends suggested getting tickets to see Leonard Cohen on tour. I agreed, partly because I have FOMO, and partly because I figured he’s a legend whom I may not have the opportunity to see again. Last Friday, we drove two hours to see him in Kingston — tickets there were way less expensive (and also less sold out!) than Ottawa; as you can see from my pic, we had pretty decent seats, plus the jumbo screens were crystal clear.

I don’t own one Leonard Cohen cd. Even now, I’d be hard-pressed to remember more than 5 titles of songs he sings. In actuality, I find that a lot of his songs sound a bit similar. His over-the-top sax player drove me batty — cheeseball moves, the only guy on stage who did a costume change. During ‘Suzanne’, something about Leonard’s chord changes sounded funny in my ear.

And yet… I was absolutely won over that night. Two words: CLASS ACT.

The spry 74-year-old (!!!) had us chuckling with his banter and his skipping on- and off-stage, was incredibly generous to his bandmates, didn’t miss a beat, and gave us three (!!!) encores. Lots of solos by his über-talented fellow musicians — during which Leonard would take off his hat to hold it to his chest, and face them. His ‘back-up’ singers were mindblowing — Sharon Robinson (who co-wrote Everybody Knows, among other tunes) and the Webb sisters. It’s obvious Leonard Cohen still loves being onstage, feels lucky to be there, and appreciates his fans and associates. He’s the only musician I’ve ever seen who thanks the lighting guy, the techs, the person who takes care of the band’s hats… And is it me, or does he not look a lot like Dustin Hoffman?

Ok, so he’s not really a bully per se, but Leonard Cohen did make me cry four times during that evening. This one’s locked into the memory bank, for sure.

Ever been to a show that moved you to blubbering? (Or am I the only sop in the room?)

Things are looking up at the K-Rock Centre
Posted By
Posted 9 hours ago

Several months ago, my wife and I attended the Bob Dylan concert at the K-Rock Centre, and more recently we attended the k. d. Lang concert. Then, on Friday night, I attended the most wonderful concert of my life: the Leonard Cohen concert.

If it was not for all the efforts of everyone from the groundbreaking of the K-Rock Centre to the organizers of today, this would not have been possible. This kind and gentle man put on perhaps the most wonderful performance of his life. You could hear a pin drop at some points of the show. With a capacity crowd, that is hard to do.

The K-Rock Centre, in my view, has improved a great deal from what it was six months ago and is on the path for even greater achievements. I'm sure I speak for everyone who attended Friday night's performance. I will gladly return to such a venue, whose entertainment lineup is second to none.

I thank Leonard Cohen (I actually got to shake his hand) and K-Rock Centre for giving me the opportunity to attend this performance. Keep up the excellent work.